Emma's Return
by Raeinspace
Summary: Set after "PA to the Mayor". SwanQueen.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Still don't own OUAT, etc.

* * *

Regina had spent a long time trying to forget Emma. While she knew it would hurt letting the other woman leave, she liked the pain. It was so different from every other day she had lived in Storybrooke. She liked the aching feeling in her heart, even though she would never admit the feelings for her had been serious.

Emma's last words to her took root in her mind and she had considered adopting one of the children from the Storybrooke orphanage. Of course, it was a little awkward knowing the curse might one day be broken and they would remember who she was. Also, they would remain the same age until that day so she would be stuck looking after someone for whom time was frozen.

Sydney's reports on Emma came to her once a month. She disappeared completely for a time, after a little trouble with her bank accounts. Regina couldn't understand how Emma could allow herself to be in that position, without enough money. She regretted letting Emma go, wondering if it would be her fault if something bad happened to her.

Then, one day, Sydney had a new report for her. Emma was in jail. And she was pregnant.

Regina waited. She wanted to contact Emma and offer her the PA job back. Then she realised that Emma's pregnancy meant she had found someone else. That hurt, so she tore the letter up. Later she remembered that Emma would have forgotten Storybrooke, and her, so she hadn't really moved on.

When Sydney told her Emma was putting the baby up for adoption, she couldn't understand it. As the deadline for Emma's due date grew closer, she went to see Gold. She gave him Emma's details, telling him that she wanted to adopt a child and that she had found one where a closed adoption was being requested. He agreed to make all the arrangements, and so, just a few months later, Regina had a son.

At first, it had seemed like a wonderful idea. As Henry grew near to his first birthday, Regina changed her mind. It was too painful to look at him and still think of Emma. She wanted to concentrate on the happiness of just having a son. So she made herself forget.

* * *

_Eleven years later…_

Regina smiled as she watched Graham walk Henry to the bus stop. She wondered why she had dismissed Kathryn's attempts to set her up before. Okay, so Kathryn never paid much attention to the men she was choosing, but maybe she could find something else worth having one day. For now, Graham would have to do.

She endured another day at work, taking a brief respite at lunch to meet with Kathryn, then returned home for dinner with Graham. Henry was at his after school club and one of the other parents would be dropping him back.

Regina gave them five minutes to be late, though no-one had ever dared to do so before. At ten minutes she asked Graham to drive around and make sure they were on their way. When he called to say the activity had ended and the building was locked, she rang the other parents cell and asked where her son was. They told her Henry hadn't attended that evening and they had assumed he was home sick. Regina rang his teacher, her home number programmed into the phone. Again, she received the same response.

She rang Sydney and Graham, in a full state of panic, ordering them to find Henry while she went through his room, trying to figure out where he was. Graham returned after half an hour, to check on her. Regina was yelling at him to get out and look for her son when Sydney rang. He had seen Henry heading down Mifflin Street.

Regina ran from the house, focusing only on her son as she knelt to wrap her arms around him. His cold words broke through her happiness and she looked up in shock at the woman he gave her name.

_His real mom._

The blonde shifted uneasily as she looked down at the mayor. Regina flinched from the gaze, feeling uncomfortable for the first time she could remember since arriving in Storybrooke. With Graham checking on Henry, her mind began calculating the best way to proceed.

She decided to invite her inside.

* * *

When Emma woke in the strange surroundings, she was surprised to find herself at ease. As she dressed and went to look out at the town from her window, she almost felt as though she had seen it before. She shook off strange deja vu sensation and went to answer the door.

The mayor was standing there with a basket full of red apples. Her smile sent a shiver down Emma's spine and she suddenly wished she had thought to check the peephole before opening it.

When Regina offered her an apple, her fingers brushed against the mayor's hand. For a split-second she wanted to keep the contact, but all too quickly Regina had pulled away.

She wanted to tell her that she understood how she felt, but the words came out wrong. Regina was clearly upset with her, not ready to listen. Emma knew they were both thinking of Henry, but Regina only saw her actions as selfish. Maybe that was true. Henry was her only real family. She had never expected to see him again. Now that he had made contact, it was just too hard to let go.

"I just want to make sure that he's okay." She told Regina.

It was the wrong thing to say. Of course Regina would think she was implying that she hadn't been taking care of Henry properly. Since meeting him, the thought had never crossed Emma's mind. Other than his Evil Queen story, he had never mentioned that Regina had tried to hurt him. His clothes were well cared for, he looked as though he had been fed – and to Emma, who had passed through more foster families than she could count, that was all she could have hoped for.

She didn't need Regina to try and convince her that she loved Henry. That was clear from her reactions. All she wanted was to help Henry see that he really was in the best place, and that meant not living with her. She didn't know how to be his mother. She was used to taking care of herself, but her job wouldn't give her the time to take care of someone else on top of that.

So Regina left, and Emma's words were lost.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina watched Emma walk Henry to the bus stop. She wanted to go over and confront the woman, but she didn't. Everything she did just seemed to push Henry further away and she couldn't understand why. She had considered trying to enforce the closed adoption but she wasn't sure how that legally worked. After all, Storybrooke didn't really exist in this world.

She remembered trying to part Owen from his father, remembered how her mother had tried to keep her from her own father. What she needed was a distraction, so she went to find Sydney. He could be replied upon to try and make her feel better. The newspaperman was busy with his headlines, but invited her to wait in his office while he finished up. Regina gave him a cold look, telling him that she had her own important matter to attend to and left.

She sat in her office, waiting for the time to pass. She wanted to be there to meet Henry at the bus stop. It would remind Emma who his mother really was. If that didn't work, she was going to have to find another way to make her leave. She hadn't been the Evil Queen for nearly three decades. It was getting harder to remember that life, but if she had to go back to being that way, to save Henry, she would.

There was a knock on the door. She recognised the shadow, though it was the first time she had seen it there.

"Come in Miss Swan."

Emma opened the door, looking nervous. "Hi."

"Why don't you take a seat?" Regina's smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Thank you."

"What can I do for you?"

"I thought we should try to talk about this situation with Henry."

"Go on."

Secretly Regina wanted to scream at her to just leave town so that there wouldn't have to be a 'situation'. If she could get Emma to leave voluntarily though, then Henry would see who really loved him.

"I know I asked for a closed adoption, but now that he's found me he won't be happy if I just leave again."

"So you intend to stay in Storybrooke?"

"No. I have a life back in Boston."

"And you want to take Henry with you?"

Emma bit her lip and shook her head. "I know that's what he wants, but I can't do it."

"Really?" This was working out better than she could have planned.

"I want to stay in contact with him, but I can't be his mother. I wouldn't know how and the life I lead isn't suited to having children around. Sometimes I have to travel at a moments notice, if I get a lead on a bail jumper and Henry's too young to be left on his own… We could email and call, maybe I could come out for holidays or his birthday to see him. He could even come to Boston and stay with me, if that's okay with you?"

"Most certainly not. If you try to take Henry from Storybrooke one more time…"

"He chose to leave the last time…"

"I would be willing to allow him access to emails and the occasional phone call, _if _they are held at a reasonable time during the day and _if _it doesn't impact his schoolwork."

"And my visits to Storybrooke?"

"Let's take one step at a time, Miss Swan."

"Please, call me Emma. Can I call you…?"

"I am the Mayor, or Miss Mills. Take your pick."

Emma smiled. "Well, Madame Mayor, thank you. I'll tell Henry the good news."

"And then you'll leave town." It wasn't a question.

* * *

Emma wasn't sure how she knew which way to go to find Regina's office. She had a strange sense of déjà vu, though there was something off outside the door. She wondered why the mayor didn't have a secretary. It was a small town, she pushed the thought aside, perhaps they didn't have the budget for it. Or perhaps Regina was just too organised and didn't need one.

She wondered if she should be calling her Regina so soon. When she heard the "Miss Swan" from the other side of the door, she felt guilty for thinking the mayors first name.

By end of her meeting with Regina, she wished she had stood up to her more. It was just so hard to disagree with her, when she gave in to Regina's requests – more like demands, if she was honest – the mayor had almost smiled in relief. Emma had liked the look of that smile. It was going to be her second favourite Regina smile. The first was the one she had given Henry.

_Favourite smiles? Really, Emma get a grip! _She told herself, heading back to the B&B.

Regina hadn't insisted that she leave right away, just that she would have to leave after telling Henry about the new contact arrangements. Perhaps if she didn't mention them right away she could spend an extra day in town. Of course, that would mean checking with Regina that she didn't mind her seeing Henry again.

* * *

Regina was not expecting two visits from Emma in one day. When she arrived home, the blonde was sitting on her doorstep, fingers moving across the screen of her cell. She was just glad Henry was at his therapy session with Dr. Hopper.

"Can I help you Miss Swan?"

Emma shot to her feet. "You wanted me to ask permission to see Henry, so here I am."

"To explain to him that you're leaving?"

"Yeah."

Regina took her keys from her handbag. "Then perhaps you should collect him from his appointment with Dr. Hopper."

"That was easy."

"You will take him for dinner at the diner, then when you bring him home you can tell him."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Sort of like a final meal?"

"The diner is a treat. It's part of his routine. You will not upset that by telling him until after the meal is over and you have left the diner. Telling him in a public place where others can overhear would also be cruel."

"I just want what is best for him."

"So do I."


End file.
